The Jammu and Kashmir police have arrested a computer engineer with links to the Lashkar-e-Taiba for allegedly “planning and executing” the car bomb explosion that left his accomplice dead and 20 injured in Anantnag district last month.
The arrested militant has been identified as Mohammad Iqbal Bhat, alias Mudasir, from Awantipora town, Senior Superintendent of Police Anantnag R.K. Jalla told PTI.
Mr. Jalla said he was involved in “planning and executing” the blast, which killed accomplice Mohammad Abbas Dar. Three CRPF jawans were among those injured in the incident near Bijbehara town in south Kashmir, 45 km from here, on March 22.
The officer said the bomb was targeted at “any security forces convoy or VIP vehicle” which would have passed the spot where the car was parked.
Mr. Jalla said the investigations revealed that Dar was an accomplice of Bhat and got killed when he went to check the IED after it did not explode with the mobile phone trigger.
“They had tried to explode the IED twice using the mobile phone detonator which failed. Dar went to check the battery connection of the device, which exploded due to his fiddling,” the SSP said.
Mr. Jalla said Dar was working for the LeT and he had brought the IED-laden vehicle to the spot.
He said the module was working under the command of Lateef Kachru, a Lashkar commander in the Awantipora area of south Kashmir.
Police are on the lookout for another suspect, he said.
The IED was prepared by Bhat in the Junglenar area of Awantipora, Mr. Jalla said.
Investigations have also revealed that Abbas was working as an overground worker for militants seven years ago but had been lying low till recently.
